Age, Lawful

Age, Lawful. Early operative charges did not mandate a specific age for apprentices, as trade training typically began in youth. The Roberts MS. (1722) was among the first to specify the age of 21. The 1723 Constitutions initially set the age at 25, later reduced to 21 in 1784. Historically, the son of a Mason (a Lewis) could be initiated at 18. Today, the standard age remains 21 in most U.S. jurisdictions, though some have lowered it to 18 or 19.